FLOPS is a measure of throughput. The time-difference between a `fmul` and a `fmadd` is often in latency. A modern processor is typically superscalar, with mul

FLOPS is a measure of throughput. The time-difference between a `fmul` and a `fmadd` is often in latency. A modern processor is typically superscalar, with multiple individually pipelined floating point units that can each be issued one instruction per cycle: regardless of whether that is a `fmadd`, a `fadd or something else. If you'd issue a `fmadd` to a unit, then you are prevented from issuing a `fadd` to it in that same cycle, and vice versa. That's one op, not two. However, floating point units are sometimes heterogeneous. I think the question should be, rather: should you count the throughput of any ops, or of arbitrary ops. In other words, if a CPU runs at 1 MHz and has two units but where only one can run `fmul`, should you count the CPU as having one or two MFLOPS?